Program selection circuits with coin slot machines for self-service launderettes



May 3, 1966 J. RUB ETAL 3,249,195

PROGRAM SELECTION CIRCUITS WITH COIN SLOT MACHINES FOR SELF-SERVICELAUNDERETTES Filed April 30, 1964 PIW PM? FIZIIVJ HW- United StatesPatent 3,249,195 PROGRAM SELECTION CIRCUITS WITH COIN SLOT MACHINES FORSELF-SERVICE LAUN- DERETTES Jakob Rub and Eugen Baumgartner, both ofWolfhause'n- Bubikon, Zurich, Switzerland, assignors to MaschinenfabrikAd. Schulthess & Co. AG., Zurich, Switzerland Filed Apr. 30, 1964, Ser.No. 363,788 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Nov. 25, 1963,14,391/ 63 4 Claims. (Cl. 194-6) The invention relates to a programselection circuit with coin slot machine for self service launderettes,with several programs with different prices. With a known programselection of this kind, made by the applicants, it is necessary toselect a punched card, corresponding to the selected program and toinsert the coins corresponding to the charge into the coin slot machine.If the program selection and the amount paid agree, an automatic washingmachine is put into operation and the cycle corresponding to theselected program is carried out. Although this circuit presentsconsiderable progress compared with previously known installations, inwhich a coin slot machine enabled a certain operating time to be boughtand the program had to be set on the washing machine so that asuflicient operating time for the selected program was assured, therewas a demand for further simplification of the operation of thesewashing machines. According to the invention, this is achieved by theprogram selection circuit in that the coin slot machine is connectedwith a group of relays, each of which is activated by a certain amountof money, and the contacts of which are connected with each other andalso with a group of relays associated with the different programs forcontrolling the washing machine sothat the insertion of coinscorresponding to the price of a program prepares the energizing ofthe-program relay associated with this particular program.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, withreference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows the basic circuit diagram of a program selection circuit,and

FIG. 2 shows the diagramof a coin slot machine located in the circuit ofFIG. 1.

The program selection circuit of FIG. 1 has five photoresistors PW1,PW3, PWS, PW6 and PW7, forming part of a coin slot machine 50, showndiagrammatically in FIG. 2. The coin slot machine 50 has two parallelchannels 51 and 52, into the inlets 53 and 54 of which coins, say,sixpenny pieces and twoashilling'pieces may be inserted. The outlets 55and 56 of the channels 51 and 52 are closed by a cross-bar 57 serving asa closing member and is actuated by a tension spring 58, holding the barnormally in the position shown, in which the outlets 55 and 56 areclosed. The closing member 57 has a magnetic core 59 which may beattracted by a magnetic winding 60 (in the'following, the cash winding),in order to open the closing member 57. The channels 51 and 52 areinclined to the horizontal so that inserted coins roll under theirownweight to the closing member 57 and drop into the outlets 55 and 56of channels 51 and 52 into a box, not shown, when the cash winding 60 isenergized.

Along the outer wall 61 of the channel 51, there are five photoresistorsPW1 to PWS, and along the outer wall 62 of the channel 52, there are twophotoresistors PW6 and PW7. The gap between the photoresistors PW1 to PWis equal to the diameter of a sixpenny piece and that between thephotoresistors PW6 and PW7 to that of a twoshilling piece. Between theinner walls 63 and 64 of the channels 51 and 52, there is a light source65 which il- "ice luminates with closed starting switch ST through holes66 in the walls 61 to 64 the photoresistors PWll to PW7, unless theseare screened by coins inserted into the channels 51 and 52. It may beseen that, after insertion of, say, three sixpenny pieces into thechannel 51, the photoresistors PWl to PW3 are screened. In the circuitof FIG. 1, the photoresistors PW2 and PW4 are not used although they arefitted in the coin slot machine 50 in order to be available for othercircuits of the type shown in FIG. 1. Obviously, the photoresistors PW2and PW4 (shown in dotted lines) may also be omitted or morephotoresistors may be provided, for example, along the outer wall 62 ofthe two-shilling piece channel 52.

Each used photoresistor PW1, PW3, PW6 and PW7 is connected with one offive amplifiers V, connected through a supply lead 67 and the startingswitch ST with one terminal of an AC. source whose other terminal isearthed.

The five amplifiers V form a structural unit 68 and their outputterminals are shown in FIG. 1 (from left to right) at 18, 22, 20, 24 and23. The terminal 18 is connected through a lead a with a relay Ra, andthe terminal 22 through a lead b with a relay Rb. The terminals 20 and2-4 are connected through a lead c with a relay Rc whilst the terminal23 is connected through a lead d with a relay Rd. The four coincontrolled relay-s Ra to Rd are mounted so as to form a structural unit69.

The amplifiers V are so designed that when an associated photoresistoris screened by a coin, the associated relay is energized. The relay Rdis therefore always energized with closed switch ST if at least onesixpenny piece is in the channel 51, whilst for energizing the relay Rbfive sixpenny pieces must be in the channel 51. In order to energize therelay R0, at least three sixpenny pieces must be in the channel 51 andat least one two-shilling piece in channel 52. The relay Rd is energizedonly if I two two-shilling pieces are in the channel 52. The values forenergizing are shown by way of explanation (in Swiss currency) for eachrelay Ra to Rd in the accompanying drawing.

The relay Ra has a contact 2 cooperating with a pair of fixed contacts 1and 3, and resting against contact in the shown position, correspondingto the non-energizing of the relays Ra to Rd. The relay Rd has twocontacts 6 and 8, cooperating with two pairs of fixed contacts 5 and 7,and 4 and 9, respectively. The same applied to relay Rc with twocontacts 10 and 12 which cooperate with fixed contacts 11 and 15, and 13and 14, respectively. Finally, the relay Rd has one contact 25 and twofixed contacts 16 and 17. Obviously, the four relays Ra to Rd may all beof the same kind, and the second contacts (not .shown) of relays Ra andRd and the associated fixed contacts may be disconnected.

Conductors e, f, g and h connect always two of the contacts, namelyconductor e contacts 17 and 12, conductor 7 contacts 16 and 10,conductor g contacts 13 and 8, and conductor h contacts 15 and 2.

Four relays R1 to R4, forming a structural unit 70, are connectedthrough conductors u, v, w, x, with the fixed contacts of the relays Rato Rb, namely relay R1 through the conductor v with the contact 3, relayR2 through the conductor x with the contact 9, relay R3 through theconductor w with the contact 4, and relay R4 through the conductor uwith the contact 11. Moreover, the contact 25 of the relay Rd isconnected through a lead 71 with the starting switch ST. Four signallinglamps S1 to S4 of different colors are connected in parallel to therelays R1 to R4.

As explained further below, the relay R1 is energized if twotwo-shilling pieces and one sixpeny piece are inserted into the coinslot machine and the starting switch is closed. In order to facilitatethe understanding, the

corresponding amounts are shown- (in Swiss currency) in the drawingalong lead v and the leads x, w and 1:, leading to the relays R2, R3 andR4. Therelays R1 to R4 serve to start upa'n automatic washing machinewith four diiferent programs, each program being determined byenergizing one of the relays R1 to R4 (programming relays). Theautomatic washing machine is not shown; The amounts to be paidcorrespond to programs requiring different times, such as washing whitewash, colored materials, nylon and woolens.

Assuming that nylon laundry is to be washed and that the amount to bepaid is 4s 6d, and that first a twoshilling piece has been inserted intothe channel 52, this will prepare the photoresistor PW6 for screening,since the starting switch ST is closed only after the coins have beeninserted. The energizing of the relay Rc connected with thephotoresistor PW6 is not prepared, because for its energizing also thescreening of the photoresistor -PW3 is necessary. In order to facilitatethe explanation, in the following it will be assumed that the startingswitch ST is already closed. On insertion of the first sixpenny pieceinto the inlet 53 of the channel 51, the photoresistor PWl is screenedand the relay Ra is energized, so that the contact 2 is moved to contact3. However, this has no further consequences for the moment, because theconnection 2+h-15-10-f leads to an empty terminal 1. Also the insertionof the second coin has no direct consequences, because the photoresistorPW2 is not present in the circuit of FIG. 1 at all. Insertion of thethird sixpenny piece screens the photoresistor PW3, causing relay Re torespond and its contacts 10' and 12 to make contact with contacts 11 and13. Now there is a circuit 7125,17-e1213c8-4-w-R3earth, so that theprogramming relay R3 would be energized if the starting switch ST wereclosed. However, since the switch ST is closed only after insertion ofthe coins, nothing happens.

The fourth coin is ineffective whilst insertion of the fifth coinscreens the photoresistor PW5, and on closing the starting switch ST,the relay Rb in the circuit 81-71- 2517-e-1213c-89-x-R2earth isenergized, causing the programming relay R2 to respond and thesignalling lamp S2 shunted thereto to light up. This indicates to theuser that the desired nylon washing program has been selected andcontinues automatically.

Towards the end of the programming cycle, e.g., when the washed materialis centrifuged to remove the water, 'a circuit is closed which containsthe cash winding 60. In consequence, the closing member 57 is opened,and the coins in the channels 51 and 52 drop into the cash box. The cashwinding is de-energized and the coin slot machine is ready for acceptinga new program.

In view of these explanations, it may be easily seen from FIG. 1, thatinsertion of two two-shilling pieces and one sixpenny piece energizesthe programing relay R1 in the circuit 71-25-16-f-1015-h-2-3-vR1-earth,indicated by the signalling lamp S1, and insertion of two two-shillingpieces and three sixpenny pieces causes response of the relay R4 in thecircuit 71-25-16-f-10- 11-u-R4-earth and the signalling lamp S4 lightsup.

The operation of the program selection circuit above described isextremely simple, since it is no longer necessary to preset a certainprogram and then to insert the corresponding coins into the slotmachine. Insertion of the coins automatically aids in completing thecircuit, the

-must be closed.

corresponding program and only the starting switch ST We claim:

1. A program selection circuit with coin slot machine,

especially for self-service washing machines with several programs atdifferent charges, characterized in that the coin slot machine isconnected with a group of coin relays having contacts, each of saidrelays being actuated by a certain am-ount'of money and the contacts ofwhich are connected with eachother and with a group of programmingrelays associated with the. various programs and serving to control thewashing machine in such a way that the insertion in the coin slotmachine of the coins corresponding to a certain program prepares theenergizing of the programming relay associated with this particularprogram.

- 2.. A program selection circuit with coin slot machine as claimed inclaim *1, characterized in that energiza'tion'of'each programming relayactuates a lamp, which indicates whether or not the associated relay hasbeen energized.

3. A program selection circuit with coin slot machine as claimed inclaim 1, characterized by a coin slot machine With at least one channelfor coins with dilferent values, light-sensitive photo-electricresistor: elements arranged along the channels, a light source fornormally energizing saidphoto electric resistor elements screened by acoin if the same is inserted into the channel, amplifiers connected withsaid elements through which one or two of the said elements areconnected always with one of the coin relays so that, when certainelements are screened after insertion of coins, the corresponding coinrelay or relays are switched.

4. A program selection circuit for self-service coin slot laundrymachines and the like having service programs at different values,comprising at least one channel memher for receiving coins inserted insai d slot, said at least one channel member, being provided with aseries of openings spaced apart a distance equal to the diameter of acoin, a'series of photo-electric cells arranged one for each of saidopenings, a source of electrical energy and a series of coinrelaysincluded in said circuit, a series 'of amplifiers" connecting oneof said photoelectric cells with one of said relays, said-coin relaysbeing provided with fixed and movable contacts, certain of said movablecontacts being-"connected in series with certain fixed contacts ofadjacent relays, a series of programming relays for initiating. cyclicoperations of said laundry machine, a circuit for said programmingrelays and fixed and movable contacts of the respective relays, wherebyenergization of one or more of said photoelectric cells when coinsareinserted in said atleast one-channel to screen light passing throughsaid'openings' will actuate the fixed and movable contacts ofcorresponding coin relays and energize said programming relays dependingupon the value of the coins inserted in said at least one channel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/ 1941Christensen l94-l 3/1959 Baker et al.- 194-10

1. A PROGRAM SELECTION CIRCUIT WITH COIN SLOT MACHINE, ESPECIALLY FORSELF-SERGICE WASHING MACHINES WITH SEVERAL PROGRAMS AT DIFFERENTCHARGES, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT THE COIN SLOT MACHINE IS CONNECTED WITH AGROUP OF COIN RELAYS HAVING CONTACTS, EACH OF SAID RELAYS BEING ACTUATEDBY A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY AND THE CONTACTS OF WHICH ARE CONNECTEDWITH EACH OTHER AND WITH A GROUP OF PROGRAMMING RELAYS ASSOCIATED WITHTHE VARIOUS PROGRAMS AND SERVING TO CONTROL THE WASHING MACHINE IN SUCHA WAY THAT THE INSERTION IN THE COIN SLOT MACHINE OF THE COINSCORRESPONDING TO A CERTAIN PROGRAM PREPARES THE ENNERGIZING OF THEPROGRAMMING RELAY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM.